Publishing, Blogging and e-Books Blogs

A list of Publishing, blogging and e-books blogs. If you wish for yours to be added please send me a message or use the comment box below. A Blogger’s Books was launched to help writers who were starting out in the business, so I wanted to make sure my readers were able to find other sites which were informative and resourceful in the writing, blogging, e-Books and e-publishing world. 
The list below consists of all the blogs I linked to in 2009. These were sites I came across which impressed me in the way they delivered free information and help to their subscribers. I look forward to fine-tuning and adding more to this list in 2010, so if you have a blog that fits this description please let me know. I will add it to my follow fridays by reviewing it, then put it on this list. (Drum roll).

My Favourite Christmas Book

image source

How The Grinch Stole Christmas! is my favourite christmas story ever. I read it to my kids several times in the run-up to the christmas holidays. I adore the repetitions and the fact that Dr. Seuss dared use 'mouses' for the plural of mouse. 
It shows that we can all choose our own way of writing, inject our personality into our text, and still come up with a fantastic, workable product.

Next year I resolve to stop worrying about old writing rules and stick to what I know best - writing as me!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

New Wellness Book in Hard Copy

As promised, my healthy weight book called, A Model's Guide to Losing Weight Without Dieting is now available in hard copy here.

‘A Model’s Guide to Losing Weight’ is a workable solution to banish nagging weight issues and keep them gone for good.

It’s a powerful, new guide. It hands over responsibility to the readers by inspiring them to attempt the lifestyle changes even before they’re introduced, and gives them the option to move at their own pace.

This innovative weight-loss programme teaches a way of life, not a diet. It coaches readers on issues of portion control, a new system of mind-training, and sustainable physical activities, with no strenuous exercises.

This is a clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step plan with solid psychological reinforcements. It offers the readers the option to personalise the steps for individual tastes.

Quick, Easy Ways to Save Space on Your Computer

I’m vigilant when it comes to making good use of space on my laptop. Nevertheless, with all the material I produce, I often wonder how long it would be before I completely run out of room. Apart from employing network assessment solutions there are several very easy ways anyone without much technical knowledge can save and use their computer space wisely.

• Empty your recycle bin at regular intervals.
• Delete read emails promptly.
• Empty your junk box completely on a daily basis.
• Keep track of pictures you no longer want and remove them.
• Use a removable USB drive to store old images, or those you don’t use very   often.
• Store old folders on removable drives.
• Do regular defragmentation according to manufacturer’s instructions.

As a writer, I’m always creating new material, and storage space can become a problem after a while. I’m always looking for new ways to keep my laptop working in ship shape. Are there other space-saving ways that work well for you?

The Daleks Are Reading Our Books

Strange, but true. Author Leigh Russell from No Exit Press manages to sell her highly acclaimed and very successful crime book, Cut Short to no other than Dr Who's Dalek. As many of you know, I work on Dr Who and have seen these monsters who threaten to exterminate our world. Hopefully, after reading Leigh's excellent book, the Daleks will be enthralled and entertained enough to stave off the destruction so they could enjoy some more of our earthly masterpieces.

A Book Movie

Marketing and promotion have changed drastically over the past decade or so. When I was younger, films were mainly promoted by trailers or adverts shown in the cinema and on TV. Books were primarily marketed by newspaper ads and bookstore promotions.



The Blair Witch Project was the first film (which I remember personally) that used the Internet to promote its release. Although not an entirely well-made film, it became hugely popular and extremely successful. At that time, this was pioneering a phenomenon which took hold solidly and producers haven’t looked back ever since.


Book publishing has been steadily heading that way. Authors are making use of several different avenues of marketing and promoting now available to them. Newspaper ads are no longer adequate or contemporary, and writers have turned to places like California corporate video production to help their cause. I’ve seen some of my author colleagues’ films they made of their books. I must admit that up until recently, I didn’t even think it was possible to make a movie of a book. But with the widespread use of Internet sites like twitter and YouTube, I suppose it was inevitable that this would happen.


What promotion methods do you use to promote your books and have you considered making a film to accompany your paper-equivalent masterpiece.

Author Feature

Today 'A Blogger's Books' features a sucessful author colleague, Pat Bertram.

Pat Bertram is a native of Colorado and a lifelong resident. When the traditional publishers stopped publishing her favorite type of book - character and story driven novels that can't easily be slotted into a genre - she decided to write her own. Daughter Am I is Bertram's third novel to be published by Second Wind Publishing, LLC. Also available are More Deaths Than One and A Spark of Heavenly Fire.

More Deaths Than One: Bob Stark returns to Denver after 18 years in Southeast Asia to discover that the mother he buried before he left is dead again. He attends her new funeral and sees . . . himself. Is his other self a hoaxer, or is something more sinister going on? And why are two men who appear to be government agents hunting for him? With the help of Kerry Casillas, a baffling young woman Bob meets in a coffee shop, he uncovers the unimaginable truth.

Daughter Am I: When twenty-five-year-old Mary Stuart learns she inherited a farm from her recently murdered grandparents-grandparents her father claimed had died before she was born, she becomes obsessed with finding out who they were and why someone wanted them dead. Along the way she accumulates a crew of feisty octogenarians, former gangsters and friends of her grandfather. She meets and falls in love Tim Olson, whose grandfather shared a deadly secret with her great-grandfather. Now Mary and Tim need to stay one step ahead of the killer who is desperate to dig up that secret.

A Spark of Heavenly Fire: In quarantined Colorado, where hundreds of thousands of people are dying from an unstoppable disease called the red death, insomniac Kate Cummings struggles to find the courage to live and to love. Investigative reporter Greg Pullman, is determined to discover who unleashed the deadly organism and why they did it, until the cost - Kate's life - becomes more than he can pay.

 

Quick Money Saving Tips and Tricks

The original post (The Facebook Stalker - The Conclusion) has now been moved to the join the rest of the story. All the pages have now been recorded as one entire post. Find the complete story here

Today’s money-saving tips are just a few tricks to keep firmly in mind when you go shopping at the supermarket. Of course there are so many other areas in our lives where we can claw back on the amount we’re spending, but we’ll discuss these in due course.



1.Instead of buying several different cleaners for multiple tasks, add soda crystals to washing powder to do a multitude of cleaning around the house. It’s cheaper, safer, better for the environment, and gets the job done.


2.Before you think you’ve got a deal it’s wise to check the price per smallest unit (100ml or 100g for example). This information will be on the price tag on the shelf below the item, in almost-invisible writing which you have to bend over to read. Generally, larger items are cheaper per unit, especially with things like cereals, washing powder, toilet roll etc.


3.Frozen spinach, carrots, beans, peas, okras, roasted (frozen) aubergines, etc taste exactly the same as their fresh counterparts and sell for almost half the price. You save in two ways: (a) The amount you pay for the product. (b) There is no wastage. Fresh items are sold by weight but you can’t use end bits and stems. There’s also no ‘going bad’ in the fridge so you never have to throw it out.


4.Not having a list is a very expensive way to shop. If you don’t know what you need, you’re likely to grab everything you think you want. Make sure your supermarket visits are accompanied by a list.


5.Always look at the bottom shelf or the one above eye-level for the true price the item is worth. Supermarkets put their most expensive items on the eye-level shelves. The chopped tomatoes you pull off the shelf on your way to the freezer section could very well be selling for 20% less on the shelf right under your nose – literally.


6.Visit ‘discount’ or ‘cash and carry’ outlets for items like paper towels, shampoo, toothpaste etc. You may find that they stock end-of-line products and sell them cheaper than your supermarket. While you’re there, buy long-life items like rice, pasta, oil, toilet roll etc, in bulk. You’ll get them for as much as half the price.

Winter Living Savings

The original post (The Facebook Stalker - page 2 of 3) has now been moved to join the start of the story. All the pages have now been recorded as one entire post. Find the complete story in my short story collection, 'Head Games'. 


At this time of year we tend to go wild with spending. I think this is because it can sometimes seem useless trying to save money on one hand, while splashing out on goodies for the family and more Christmas decorations for the tree, on the other. However, there are still some tiny ways in which we can try to minimise the outgoings in other areas of our lives. Our wallets will thank us for it in January during the wringing-of-hands season when the first bank statement of 2010 arrives in the post.



In and around the home


This is the time when cars get randomly attacked and vandalised in the street. We’ve had our cars smashed, used for a graffiti canvas, snowballed (which resulted in a broken side window), otherwise vandalised and a windscreen destroyed, all at this time of year when it’s dark and not many people are in the cold streets late at night. (And we live in a decent neighbourhood.) Make sure that you’re parking in a safe place and save yourself the stress. As you know, claiming on insurance is not totally free. They always get you back the following year.


Speaking of car insurance, if you park your car in your drive (driveway), or better still, in a garage, you get cheaper car insurance. Having a working alarm also helps lower the premium. If you’re older than 50, why not change your policy to one aimed at older people? If your senior parent lives with you, having them as the main policy holder and you as the second driver will save you a few bobs every year.


Reduce your hot water temperature at the source. You’ll be using a lot of it now and you’ll only be mixing it with cold water to cool it down. Why not save your boiler the hard work (electricity) of heating it up to that extent in the first place.


Register with cinema chains and take your kids to the cinema for free (at certain times). Win free tickets, music vouchers and cheap popcorn too. This is the time for presents. Get yourself and family some free stuff when you have the time to use them.


Let your printer work for you. Print your coupons from family days-out sites. Get fantastic deals and free trips.


If you have kids visiting who cannot sleep without a light on, use a night (plug-in) light instead of leaving your hall lights on all night.


Watch what you’re using your credit card to buy. If you used your credit card to purchase something which came at a discount of 10%, by the end of next year the interest you will have paid on the price of that particular garment/present will add up to significantly more than you ‘saved’ in the sale (unless, of course, you pay off your cards each month).


Eating ugly is good for you


Price depends largely on how attractive the item appears to the buyer. If you don’t mind eating a pear that’s gone, well – pear shaped, you could snap it up for 30% less than the actual price. Items are always priced to make a decent profit for the retailer, so don’t feel bad because you’re not getting it for less than it’s worth.


Most vegetables are sold as pre-packaged and loose versions. The pre-packaged ones are all neatly arranged, virtually the same sizes and are beautiful to behold. The loose ones are bent, ugly and of all different shapes and sizes. There is no difference in the nutritional value of these two groups of vegetables/fruit. The difference lies with the pricing. Don’t get taken in.


Bottled water


Purchase a jug with a filter rather than bottled water. Drink pure, fresh-tasting water for a fraction of the cost you now pay. A glass jug with a filter (which you change monthly) provides you with water just as pure as the bottled variety. The difference is in your wallet.

For more on money saving ideas, see my book, 'How To Spend Less.' Details on this blog.